Our reviews speak for themselves!

“For the past two decades or more, our family has relied on the Island Services Company for all kinds of services for our summer place on Bear Island in Lake Winnipesaukee.   The Island Services team – Paul, Marc, Buddy, Chris and others – are multi-talented and totally reliable.

Together they have provided building, carpentry, masonry, electrical, plumbing, snow clearing, chimney cleaning and other services – including diving services to check the chains that secure our swim raft.  They built our second cabin and a large screen porch and deck that connects it to our initial cabin.  Every year, they open and close our two cabins plus install and remove our dock, swim raft and water line.  We count on them for ensuring that our two cabins remain secure and intact over the winter each year –  as they patrol our property and clear heavy snow off the roofs of our cabins and screen porch.

Over the years, we have become good friends – updating each other on our families each year.   My husband Lincoln and I plus our two children, Greg and Alexis, are full of praise for the Island Services team and the services they provide.”

Marty Chen
Harvard University
February 2015

“Hi Paul,

I am writing a long overdue thank you for all the work you have done for Wayne and I over the years.   This includes pulling the former owners mounds of furniture, appliances, and stuff off the island our first year there; then finishing off the walls and ceilings in the old camp; building a new dock and setting mooring balls; putting in our septic system which was quite the challenge with all the rain; battling the rot; replacing the roof; putting the dock in and taking the dock out; getting the water running; troubling shooting the usual problems one faces on an island; you name it.  We totally rely on you, Mark and Buddy and your barge!

But most importantly we want to thank you for building the second camp, which is now our main building, fulfilling our vision for the perfect summer retreat.   Throughout this process your honesty, attention to detail, insight, ability to trouble shoot unexpected problems and your incredible patience were all a blessing.   Every time Wayne and I walk in the door we are both so happy and instantly relaxed.   I hope that you will not hesitate to use us as a reference.  You should feel free to show off your work, anytime.   Thank you, thank you, and thank you!”

Wayne and Debbie Towle
Bear Island

“Many years ago, Grandfather built several of the cabins on our acreage which now require “high maintenance!” Marc, Paul, Buddy and their staff appreciate these factors and have been sensitive when providing improvements, assuring they are in keeping with character and simplicity of our rustic setting.

They do not hesitate to contact outside consultants when necessary, and their responses have always been prompt and professional from A to Z.

A – Adjusting water system each season.
B – Building improvements to cabins.
C – Care of septic system.
D – Dock installation and removal at the end of the season.
E – Equipping the pump with a new filter to eliminate sand infiltration, plus explaining the “idiosyncrasies” of the pump.
Z – Zeroing in to resolve unforeseen, inconvenient, emergencies.

Island Service is an invaluable friend.”

Taylor family

“Our family has known Paul Borders and his team for more than a decade. They built our home which has been showcased in several magazines and books on quality homes. Their work has always been first class and we continue to have them work on our home.”

Chris Lord
Bear Island

“I can’t begin to tell you what the service from the Island Service boys has meant to us over the years. I’m not sure we’d be island dwellers without them. Any problems with water, septic, or electricity, and they’re there the same day to check it out and make plans to fix. Our cabin has not had many updates over the years, and they’ve “kept it going” for us quite nicely.”

Ann Weisel
Bear Island

“We would recommend Island Services without reservation.   We had the pleasure of working with them when renovating our island camp which had been in the family for 60 years.  The renovations entailed creating a more open floor plan and the removal of supporting walls and replacing with new structural support beams, a full kitchen remodel and the addition of a new bathroom.  Through out the process we found Island Services to be excellent at communicating.  They were honest, attentive, considerate, reliable, hard working, and produced high quality work.”

Sincerely,

Aaron and Michelle

“Kudos to Island Service:  Our family will be delighted with the new septic system you built for us.  We had David Ames do the design and then signed on with you.  The process was seamless and the timing was great.  Post season and now our family members are drawing numbers to have the first flush when we open camp and start the water system.

Thanks for the great work.”

 The Taylor Camp, Birch Island

“In 2011, we bought our home on Six Mile Island.  The prior owners told us that Island Services had built the house and adjacent cottage and highly recommended we use them too – and oh boy have we used them!

We couldn’t have asked for a better company to help us with our transition to island life.  We have called upon Island Services for a variety of projects from installing shelving and new windows to extending the walkway around the house.  Paul is particularly good at listening to what we need and translating it into a great finished product.

Finally, we cannot say enough about their responsiveness in emergencies – especially the rather messy demise of our septic pump motor!

We really couldn’t imagine working with anyone else.”

Janet Englund & Jennifer Gentry

“We have been using Island Service Company since 2006 when we bought our property on Squam Lake.  Buddy Long and his team have taken care of every problem from building new docks to shoveling snow off the roof, to opening up and closing down our cabin, to ploughing the driveway and to regularly checking on the property.   We could not be happier with the quality of the work and the service.  Buddy is the first person we call on any issue.  We would definitely recommend ISC to anyone looking for help in the area.”

Win Brown

“We wanted to do something very special for the parents 50th Wedding Anniversary and decided that a remodel of their beloved cottage on Bear Island would be a perfect gift that the entire family could enjoy. The family has been coming to the cottage for 46 years, the cottage itself dates to 1906. Preserving the historic integrity of this family treasure was tantamount – and the ISC team not only understood that, they constantly suggested ideas and methods for blending the new with the old. They painstakingly matched the wood stain for new boards — it took over 17 tries to find the right color, but they never gave up on perfection. The results are stunning – functionality, era specific details and seamless integration with a structure that was far from square or plumb. The ISC team creatively collaborated with the entire family throughout the project – their skills are phenomenal, they are true craftsmen and also happen to be incredibly nice people!”

Scott and Rosanna

“Buddy –

Thanks for doing a great job! Sorry about all the cobwebs -“

Dorrie B.

“Thank you!

As usual, you rescued us in the moment.

I love how amazing everyone who works for Island Services is! Real People!”

Thank you,
The girls at 302 Bear

“Buddy & Lisa,

I want to thank you all for a great job on painting our cottage on Diamond Island.

You all did a fantastic job back in the mid – ’90’s when you did it the last time, so we were inclined to ask you to bid on the job this time around.

We were a bit surprised by the cost in the quote, but since you all did such a great job last time, we decided to go for it this time. I am so glad that we did.

The paint job (well, stain job) looks great. It really covers the wood and looks wonderful. But it is really the extra details that make us particularly happy that we had you folks do the job. The undersides of the eaves, the ends of the rafters, all of the details are done.

In addition, you can’t tell the house was painted from looking at the ground around it or in the windows. Everything (and I mean *everything) was cleaned up. You can’t tell that you guys had to scrape the front of the house a lot. You can’t see any paint on the windows, or the rocks, or the dirt, or the propane tanks.

Thanks as well for getting rid of the old boat lift up the hill. There too, the job wasn’t just “done”, it was “done right”. Nothing left, no hint that there ever was even a pile of aluminum and wood up the hill.

We are *so* glad that we had you folks do the work. We were very impressed with the new roof and paint job back in the mid “90’s, and we are *still* very impressed with the paint job and work that you did for us last week. We couldn’t be happier that we contracted with you all to do the work.

Thanks again for the great job!”

Kim and Karen Kinnear

“My husband I have never hired anyone to do repairs or renovations around our house. He had the know how to do it himself. When it came time to rebuild our place on Bear Island, after having had two back surgeries , he knew we needed to hire someone to demolish our present place and rebuild . That control was hard to give up.

We knew of ISC thru neighbors and a recent septic pump installation. We contacted Marc Lacasse and the process began.

ISC and crew built us a cottage over the winter that surpassed all our expectations. They have the skill and integrity of true craftsman. When we made some changes thru out the build, our ideas were meet with enthusiasm –“sure we can do that.” Communication with Marc, Paul and Buddy has been open and prompt. They are willing to go the extra mile.

At this time, they are in the process of finishing the interior walls. Their attention to detail is unbelievable. The pine is beautiful!!

We highly recommend ISC and their crew for any of your island living needs.

Thanks, guys-You are the best!!”

Cindy and Gary Little
Bear Island

“The present cottage that my family occupies was built in 1960 by my father and his children. Several years ago I planned to upgrade the building and make it more convenient without losing that special feeling of being “at the lake” I was aware of Island Service Company because they had been maintaining my dock for several years. I began by replacing the septic system and Island Service led me through the entire process. They did a great job and I was very pleased with the outcome. The following winter I had them begin work on the cottage. They replaced the roof and added a new addition with a new kitchen and full bath. They did all the permitting for the project. They moved some walls and reconfigured the interior, replaced all the plumbing and insulated the entire building. The project came out excellent. I then had them remodel the bunkhouse and the screened porch on the main house.

I have been very pleased with the project and am very grateful to Paul, Buddy, Marc and their helpers for all that they have done for me. I am amazed at their range of skills and talent. I would recommend them highly without any reservation for any project that you might be considering. They have become friends to me and make island living more of a joy. Please come by to see what they’ve done or if you have any questions for me.”

Sincerely,

Robert J. Kane
Bear Island

“Island Service is a timely, reliable full-service contractor providing an essential service for waterfront homeowners. They built our home in 1997 on Bear Island and have serviced it ever since; we could not be more pleased!”

Bette and Bob Higley,
Bear Island

“Island Service Company came well recommended to me by several friends on Bear Island. My property was on nearby Mink Island and I wondered if that would be a problem. History proved what they said to be true – “certainly not!” The new construction began in the winter and my access was limited. I had designed the home and trusted that they could follow the plans that I gave them. Our communication throughout was constant. I never feared they may drift from my vision. Once I got there after ice-out, I was delighted to see a main structure just as I had visualized it. They made my concept take root. The finish work made it flourish. My wife and I were delighted with the final result! Potential issues, such as installing my very oversized windows, never arose; Island Service Company just brought enough man power to muscle them into place. Whenever I made a plan change along the way, they simply made sure it happened as I envisioned it. This was my fourth remodel and certainly the most enjoyable from a production point of view. Come on spring; we want to be back in our cottage on the island!”

Dave Bunting
Mink Island

“Ken and I would like to thank you so much for the renovation work done on our Bear Island home. We are completely and absolutely satisfied with the wonderful work you’ve accomplished. We’d like to commend the entire team for their excellent workmanship and professional manner that made our home into a place we’d like to spend 24/7 at. While the major renovations are wonderful, the finish and detail work were equally spectacular.

We would certainly have no hesitation in highly recommending Island Service Company to anyone who may be thinking of renovating, restoring, or building a new home or dock around the lake. Whether a tiny repair or a major job, or whether opening up after the winter or closing up in Nov/Dec, their reliability and professional service is great and it always happens with a smile.”

Kenneth and Rochelle Goldberg
Bear Island